Russian poetess Maria Stepanova wins Leipzig Book Prize 2023

Tags: Awards

Maria Stepanova, a Russian author currently living in Berlin, has won the prestigious Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding in 2023.

An Overview of the News

• Stepanova's novel, In Memory of Memory, which explores themes of Stalinism and the collapse of the Soviet Union, has earned her a nomination for the Booker Prize in 2021.

• The Leipzig Book Prize was awarded to Stepanova for her poetry collection 'Girls Without Clothes', which sensitively addresses the issue of power dynamics that fuel violence and oppression against women.

• The award ceremony was held on 25 April 2023 at the 30th Leipzig Book Fair.

• The Leipzig Book Prize has been presented since 1994 for "Progress of Reconciliation" in Europe.

• Stepanova, born in Moscow in 1972, is a Russian-Jewish poet, novelist and journalist who has been an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin's administration.

• Stepanova has expressed her admiration for Ukraine's resistance to the invasion, describing it as a battle of "good versus evil" in an interview with German public broadcaster RBB.

About the Leipzig Book Prize

• The Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding is a prestigious literary prize awarded annually since 1994.

• The prize aims to promote greater understanding between European cultures by recognizing outstanding works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry that contribute to this goal.

• The prize is awarded as part of the Leipzig Book Fair in Germany and is presented in three categories: fiction, non-fiction and translation. The winner in each category receives a cash prize and a bronze statuette.

• The jury for the Leipzig Book Prize is made up of literary scholars, critics and journalists from all over Europe. They evaluate works from different European countries and languages to select the winners.